1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water inlet device for an automatic washer and more particularly to a water inlet device which provides basket side wall washing and uniform clothes load rinsing while compensating for varying water inlet pressures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Water inlet devices are used to provide a vacuum break in the inlet line and to dispense water from an inlet conduit into the basket of a washing machine onto a clothes load which is located in the bottom of the basket. Various configurations of water inlets have been proposed for providing an inlet water flow directed toward various portions of the interior of the wash basket including the basket wall, directly upon the clothes or directed toward the agitator.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,00,968 discloses an inlet device which directs incoming wash fluid toward the central vertical agitator which then causes a redirected spray onto the clothes. U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,751 discloses an inlet device having two separate outlet openings, one directing spray toward the agitator and a second directing spray toward the basket wall. U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,406 discloses various inlet arrangements for dispensing water throughout a range of locations within the basket.
While it is desirable to have the inlet water spray uniformly on the clothes within the basket, it is also desirable to spray against the interior basket wall to rinse collected soap, dirt and other particles from the wall during the rinse cycle to remove that material so that it is not redeposited on the clothes load. Further, it is important to not have an excessive amount of spraying against the interior wall of the basket at high pressures since this causes redirected spray throughout the interior of the basket including up into the basket opening area and into areas of the washer cabinet which are not designed for excessive water spray.
Thus a problem develops in the use of inlet devices regarding the compensation for varying water pressures from location to location geographically and for various water pressures at a given location so that a uniform spray of water is directed toward the interior of the basket and on the clothes without excessive spray being directed against the basket wall.
At least one prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,455 discloses a water inlet that is designed to provide a gentle stream of incoming water regardless of wide variations in inlet water pressure. That device uses a plurality of downwardly depending fingers or projections 63 to break up the water flow and as the water pressure increases, the water will come into contact with a greater number of projections. Although with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7 it is stated that due to the upwardly arched nature of the portion 62, the stream is caused to discharge at a predetermined trajectory somewhat inclined from the vertical (without disclosing what the inclination is), it is stated that the discharge trajectory will remain substantially constant. The device disclosed in that patent does not appear to provide for a rinsing of the interior side wall of the basket.